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February 04, 2007

British Troops Colluded With Mad Dog

News about Ireland & the IrishGU 02/05/07 British Troops 'Colluded With Mad Dog'IT 02/05/07 SF To Hold Collusion ConferenceSL 02/04/07 I'll Aid O'Loan. But She Must Not Do A 'Jonty!'SL 02/04/07 McCord Letter Not Passed To FlanaganBB 02/04/07 Ahern And Hain In Deadline ThreatBB 02/04/07 Election Talks For Ahern And HainTC 02/05/07 Public Inquiry Called For Into Finucane CaseSL 02/04/07 Opin: Few DUP Big Guns To Lose Out Over SF DealBN 02/04/07 NY Mayor Hails Flight Link To The WestBT 02/04/07 Floodlights Switched On At Croke Park

Johnny Adair, the exiled loyalist former terrorist, hasadded to controversy over security force collusion byclaiming that British soldiers were a main source ofintelligence for his band of murderers.

In his autobiography Mad Dog, due out next month, Adairsays British troops were regularly in touch with him andhis 'C Company' - the Ulster Defence Association's maindeath squad during his terrifying reign in the earlyNineties.

Adair says that on every patrol there would be at leastthree or four soldiers who were friendly towards him. Heclaims much of the information he received on republicanswas passed over when his car was stopped at army securitycheckpoints. 'To make sure they [the squaddies] didn't getcaught out, I was walked to the back of the car to overseea dummy root about in the boot.

'I would get to know what type of cars the republicans weredriving, where they were being spotted hanging about, andif they were using a safe house.'

The former UDA commander says there was no mention ofloyalists because the soldiers told him 'they knew we wereon their side'.

Adair says he ingratiated himself with the troops bysending wreaths to army barracks after the IRA killedsoldiers.

But he says that he played no part in the 1989 killing ofBelfast solicitor Pat Finucane, blaming it instead on theUDA's 'B Company', based in the middle stretch of theShankill Road. Adair was arrested after Finucane's murder,but claims police officers treated him well because 'theywere delighted that the lawyer was dead. They detestedhim'.

He alleges that one policeman came into an interrogationroom and congratulated him and the UDA. Others, Adairclaims, told him: 'It's the best hit the UFF [a cover namefor the UDA] has ever done.'

However, Adair also alleges the RUC Special Branch hatedhim and may have provided republicans with intelligence onhis whereabouts. He survived at least six murder attemptsand still has fragments of bullets in his body.

He claims that during another interrogation in Castlereaghbarracks he was offered the sexual services of a femaleSpecial Branch officer, plus œ45,000 in used notes, if heagreed to work for the RUC in October 1993.

Adair, who was expelled from Northern Ireland at gunpointby the UDA, lives in exile in Troon, on the west coast ofScotland.

Sinn F‚in TD and party justice spokesman, Aengus O Snodaighsaid: "The conference next weekend is part of a widercampaign to step up pressure on the British government.

"It will also be putting pressure on the Irish Government.They have known for many years about collusion but have yetto support full independent inquiries to establish the realtruth about what happened in this city and elsewhere.

"The families of those who were killed as a result ofBritish-run death squads deserve the truth.

"And this should happen whether it was those killed in theearly 1970s in Dundalk, Dublin or Monaghan or those whowere killed by British agents in recent years."

Former Army spy 'Kevin Fulton' says he would like to assistany inquiry by Nuala O'Loan into the IRA killing ofPortadown man John Dignam.

But Fulton will consult his lawyers first because he isconcerned over the treatment of former CID officer JohnstonBrown by the Police Ombudsman's office.

Dignam was shot dead along with fellow British spiesGregory Burns and Aiden Starrs.

The three IRA members were abducted in the Republic,interrogated and killed in June 1992 by the Provos'infamous 'nutting squad'.

"I watched what happened to Johnston Brown with concern,"said Fulton.

"He co-operated with her inquiry and then ended up gettingarrested himself. I'd have to have certain safeguards."

Fulton is ideally placed to tell all about the role of Armyagent Freddie Scappaticci in the 'nutting squad'.

He and his wife were interrogated by Scappaticci in 1994after a number of IRA men - including Gerry Adams' cousinDavid Adams - were arrested in a foiled murder bid on topRUC man Derek Martindale.

Fulton had provided mobile phones for the IRA unit andsuspicion fell on him after the RUC operation.

He says 'Scap' grilled him twice but he fled Ulster fearinghe would be abducted if he attended a third interrogation.

He claims he asked the PSNI to investigate Scappaticci'sactivities after he was exposed as an Army agent but heardnothing further from the senior detectives who took up thecase.

"It was about two years ago but I heard nothing and thenafter about a year I complained to the Police Ombudsman.

"She said she couldn't process the complaint because it wasstatute-barred due to the time delay, and also I wasn'tsomeone who had been bereaved by the actions of the agent Icomplained about," he claimed.

McCord's father, Raymond McCord snr, claimed Sir Ronniemust have known about his concerns that an RUC informer wasinvolved in his son's murder and other killings after hecontacted the Stevens inquiry team in 2000 - almost threeyears after the brutal slaying.

Mr McCord has suggested that it is inconceivable that SirRonnie - now head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate ofConstabulary - would not have seen his letter.

But Sunday Life understands that the PSNI has nowestablished that the letter was NOT passed to Sir Ronnie'sprivate office.

Instead, it - and a covering letter from the Stevens team -was forwarded to the RUC's command secretariat.

It's believed it was then copied to the office of theAssistant Chief Constable responsible for crime operationsand passed to the senior detective responsible for theMcCord murder investigation.

One former assistant chief constable independentlyconfirmed the procedure to Sunday Life yesterday.

He said: "Most communications of a serious nature wereprocessed in that way.

"They went to the command secretariat first, were examinedand then forwarded to the relevant department head'soffice.

"If it was something relating to a crime, my staff officerwould have reviewed the content and passed it to theinvestigating officer responsible for the case. That's whatthe staff officer was there for."

He added: "I would have had many meetings to attend and Iwouldn't have read correspondence unless my staff officerfelt I must deal with it.

"It would have been left to his judgment what I needed tosee."

Sir Ronnie has denied the McCord letter was passed to him.

In a statement yesterday, the PSNI would only say: "Aletter was sent from the Stevens Team to the RUC inSeptember 2000 about a complaint it had from Mr RaymondMcCord."

And Mr Hain told GMTV the path to power-sharing would notbe easy, but he still believed it would happen.

"I don't expect any handshakes for the cameras, what Iexpect is a very scratchy election campaign and probably abit scratchy thereafter," he said.

"But the difference here, is not just the things Idescribed, it's that the conditions are in place for stablegovernment with support for policing and the rule of lawand a commitment to power-sharing on all sides."

The Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended in 2002 amidallegations of a republican spying ring.

In October 2006, Ireland and the UK negotiated the StAndrews Agreement - a road map towards the restoration ofthe power-sharing government.

The Irish Taoiseach and the Northern Ireland Secretary havebeen holding talks in Cardiff ahead of elections to theStormont Executive in Belfast.

Bertie Ahern and Peter Hain, also Welsh Secretary, were inthe city for the Six Nations rugby game between Ireland andWales at the Millennium Stadium.

Elections in Northern Ireland are scheduled for 7 March.

Mr Ahern said recent events, such as Sinn Fein'sendorsement of policing, offered hope for the future.

Mr Hain told GMTV the path to power-sharing would not beeasy, but he still believed it would happen.

"I don't expect any handshakes for the cameras, what Iexpect is a very scratchy election campaign and probably abit scratchy thereafter," he said.

"But the difference here, is not just the things Idescribed, it's that the conditions are in place for stablegovernment with support for policing and the rule of lawand a commitment to power-sharing on all sides."

The Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended in 2002 amidallegations of a republican spying ring.

In October 2006, Ireland and the UK negotiated the StAndrews Agreement - a road map towards the restoration ofthe power-sharing government.

A new power-sharing executive is due to be formed on 26March.

In a statement, Mr Ahern said: "If the parties adhere tothis agreement and timescale, the people of NorthernIreland can look forward to the restoration of sharedgovernment next month."

He added there was a "very great responsibility" on allparties to rise to the challenges ahead.

One thing is certain: some of the DUP's biggest hitters aregoing to be very disappointed if Ian Paisley actually formsan Executive with Sinn Fein.

Cluttered with MPs, and many of the brightest and mostarticulate minds and voices in unionism, some of theparty's top echelon are set for disappointment.

Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, the RevWilliam McCrea, Sammy Wilson and Jeffrey Donaldson can'tall be awarded ministerial posts - even if the DUP faredexceptionally well in the Assembly poll and secured around40 of the 108 seats.

And then there's Iris Robinson - another MP who would jumpat the health ministry formerly run by Sinn Fein's Bairbrede Brun.

The word within the tightly-knit party is that ArleneFoster has taken Paisley's eye of late, too.

The former thorn in David Trimble's side accompaniedPaisley to a meeting last week with Stormont Minister PaulGoggins.

Then there's George Dawson, whom party sources say youshouldn't ignore because of his sound grasp on economicmatters.

There are others in the DUP potentially in the frame forministerial posts but the best bet is Peter Robinson, Doddsand two others if they are entitled to four posts and don'trule out Foster emulating her uncle, Sam Foster, andserving in the Executive.

As for Ian Paisley jnr, expect the North Antrim Assemblymanto be appointed as a junior minister in the FirstMinister's office.

"[Paisley] Junior will do the day-to-day running of theoffice," one DUP strategist predicted.

For Sinn Fein, the mathematics may not stack up as wellthis time round if the dissidents in their ranks stay athome on polling day or use their votes to bad mouth Adamsand McGuinness.

If they only achieve two ministries beyond the Deputy FirstMinister's Office, then a few will be disappointed.

Will Gerry Kelly get a reward for his unstinting supportfor Gerry Adams. Or will Alex Maskey, whose republicancareer was much less pronounced, nip in and snatch it?

And will Connor Murphy take a Ministry to south Armagh tocement the seeds of democracy in what used to be called'Bandit Country?

If they only secure two seats because of a huge performanceby the DUP will Pat Doherty lose out?

Former minister de Bruin has all but faded from thelimelight, but Michelle Gildernew could become Sinn Fein'sministerial woman scuppering the Kelly and Maskeyprospects.

Within the SDLP, party leader Mark Durkan is tipped tonominate himself for a ministry.

Sir Reg Empey is the most likely Ulster Unionist minister,with Alan McFarlane in North Down a possibility if heretains his Assembly seat. Esmond Birnie is anotherpossibility.

So that means the ministerial line-up, if the DUP bags fourministries and beyond the certainty of Paisley andMcGuinness, could read: Robinson, Dodds, Foster, Campbell,Murphy, Gildernew, Durkan, Maginness, Empey and Birnie.

The New York mayor today visited Co Mayo to hail the firstdirect flights between Knock Airport and the Big Apple.

The thrice-weekly service by Scotland-based low-costcarrier, Flyglobespan, will begin in May.

It is believed the routes will open access to the westerncounties of Ireland to US visitors and also help to boostIrish tourism in New York.

During Mayor Michael Bloomberg's last visit to Ireland inAugust, he promised to lobby the US government to approveflights between the Co Mayo hub and the US. The flights,which also include two weekly routes into Boston's LoganAirport were announced last month.

Mr Bloomberg today met officials of Ireland West Airport inCo Mayo.

He said: "New York has been referred to as Ireland's 33rdcounty and we will grow even closer with the start of theseflights.

"It is also fitting that JFK airport is named after formerpresident John F Kennedy whose great-grandparents leftIreland during the Famine.

"Not only will these flights make it easier for Americansto get to the west of Ireland, it will enable even moreIrish residents to visit New York.

Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon OCuiv, whose grandfather Eamon de Valera was born in NewYork in 1882, also welcomed the service.

"I have no doubt that many New Yorkers will take theopportunity to renew their links with the places and peopleof their ancestry," he added.

Last August Mayor Bloomberg visited Co Sligo to dedicate amemorial to the Fighting 69th Infantry Regiment of the NewYork National Guard.

Scotland-based Flyglobespan will operate three flights perweek between Ireland West Knock and JFK, along with twoflights weekly to Boston's Logan Airport. Currently, directflights from Ireland to the US are only operated out ofShannon, Dublin and Belfast.

It is believed the flights could draw an additional 2,500to 3,000 Irish visitors to New York this year resulting inan estimated $4.5m (?3.47m) spend.

The Government was represented at today's event byAgriculture Minister Mary Coughlan who formally welcomed MrBloomberg to the Republic.

Ms Coughlan will also travel to New York next month for StPatrick's Day celebrations.

Ms Coughlan said: "Ireland West Airport Knock has grown tosuch an extent over the past 21 years that it is now thefirst choice airport for people throughout the west andnorth-west.

"The addition of direct flights to the United States is amajor achievement for its board, management and staff andone that will open up many new opportunities for tourismand business in the region."